Bail Raised For Driver Charged in Deadly NJ Crash

A judge has raised the bail of a northern New Jersey woman accused of causing a deadly crash while texting.

Flickr User Mrjasonweaver

Citing Jennifer Sahoye's long history of driving offenses and more than a dozen missed court appearances, the judge on Tuesday increased the 35-year-old Rahway resident's bail from $50,000 to $75,000.

Sahoye's charged with vehicular homicide in an Oct. 10 crash on Routes 1 & 9 in Newark. She's also accused of causing death while driving with a suspended license, a charge that was filed shortly after the crash occurred.

She faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted on both charges.

Authorities say Sahoye was southbound in the express lanes of Routes 1 & 9, near the Route 78 interchange, when she crossed into the southbound local lanes and hit a pickup truck driven by 58-year-old Carlos Carvalho of Elizabeth.

The impact caused Carvalho's truck to overturn. He was ejected from the truck and suffered fatal injuries.

Witnesses at the scene told authorities they thought Sahoye had been texting as she drove, and prosecutors say further investigation confirmed those suspicions.

The Star-Ledger reports that the judge rejected a request by Essex County prosecutors to boost Sahoye's bail to $100,000. Her attorney, Anthony Palumbo, acknowledged his client's legal history, but said she realized the seriousness of the charges.

"She'll be here," Palumbo said. "She knows without me saying it that she needs to attend each and every appearance before the court."